Muscles knots could potentially be the by-products of either an intense workout or sitting behind a desk all day. You might experience the knot as a specific muscle pain or even be able to feel the knot as you run your hands over your skin. It's still unclear what exactly causes muscle knots, but some doctors believe it's due to a buildup of proteins in the muscle after the release of lactic acid. You can encourage the removal of lactic acid through stretching, massage or hot and cold therapy.

Step 1

Get a professional massage. According to the Mayo Clinic, professional massage is performed by licensed massage therapists who are trained to manipulate the muscles and underlying fascia in order to achieve pain reduction and relaxation. A massage therapist will use her hands, fingers and possibly forearms to work out any accumulated muscle knots.

Step 2

Use hot and cold therapy to increase the blood flow to the muscle knots. Increasing the blood flow could help to stimulate the tissue regrowth and the removal of accumulated waste products, such as lactic acid, in the muscles. Try alternating between a hot and cold shower to feel the effects of hot and cold therapy. Stand under a cold shower for two minutes, switching immediately to a hot shower. Alternate between hot and cold water for 10 minutes.

Step 3

Stretch your muscles or practice yoga regularly. Imagine that a muscle knot is like a garden hose with a kink in it. In order to straighten the kink, you'll need to stretch the muscles. One of the most common places that people experience muscle knots is in the back. Yoga offers several poses that stretch the back, including Downward-Facing Dog. To perform Downward-Facing Dog, position yourself on all fours. Tuck your toes under and press your hips up and back until you come into an inverted triangle position.

Tip

Perform self-massage on the muscle knots that you can reach yourself. Press, rub and stretch the muscle knot using light pressure from your fingers.

References

About the Author

Nicole Carlin is a registered yoga teacher. Her writing has been published in yoga and dance teacher training manuals for POP Fizz Academy. Carlin received a Masters of Arts in gender studies from Birkbeck University in London and a Bachelors of Arts in psychology from Temple University, Philadelphia.